page_title: His Majesty's Theatre, Perth
section_title: Architecture
hierarchical_section_title: His Majesty's Theatre, Perth / Construction / Architecture
caption_attribution_description: English: view of the auditorium from the gallery
context_page_description: His Majesty's Theatre is an Edwardian Baroque theatre in Perth, Western Australia. Constructed from 1902 to 1904 during a period of great growth for the town, the theatre is located on the corner of Hay Street and King Street in Perth's central business district.
  At the time the theatre was opened, it was the largest theatre in Australia, and had seating for over 2,500 people. It is also thought to be the first reinforced concrete building constructed in Perth.
  Over its life, the theatre has hosted large-scale musicals, ballet, opera, Shakespearean plays and many other events. It has been renovated numerous times, most notably in the late 1970s when the State Government purchased it and performed an ornamental restoration whilst modernising the facilities provided. Since that time, it has been the home of the West Australian Ballet and West Australian Opera companies, both of which perform regularly.
  The importance of His Majesty's Theatre to the cultural fabric of Western Australia has been recognised by its inclusion on the State Register of Heritage Places and the Register of the National Estate.
context_section_description: At the time of its opening, His Majesty's Theatre was the largest theatre in Australia, and also featured the country's largest stage and highest fly tower. The complex was constructed with reinforced concrete, and was the first reinforced concrete building in Perth and, possibly, in Australia. The structure is 4-storeys tall, and its features were influenced by 19th-century English and European theatres. It has been described as "a fine example" of Federation Free Classical or Edwardian Baroque architecture.
  The building as designed by Wolfe was grander than Molloy's Theatre Royal complex, and featured a 65-room hotel separated from the theatre by internal iron doors. The hotel had billiard rooms, parlours and six bars to serve the patrons of the theatre. The building used 272 tonnes (600,000 lb) of iron and steel, 3.75 million locally made bricks, imported marble, Minton tiles and Castlemaine slate. An electric lift led to the roof, where an observation platform had panoramic views over the town.
  The auditorium contained a proscenium arch, with a raked stage 20 by 23 metres (66 by 75 ft) in size. The auditorium measured 23 by 21 metres (75 by 69 ft), and its original capacity was 2584 people in three tiers. The interior of the theatre was a typical Edwardian horseshoe-shape to bring the audience closer to the performers. It featured stalls (seating 974), a dress circle (seating 540), an upper gallery (seating 1,074) and private boxes.
  The theatre incorporated several cooling features. Four small waterfalls were located on either side of the proscenium arch, intended to cool the audience in tandem with electric fans and a retractable dome in the ceiling. The dome was split down the middle, with each half sliding to either side to open. The dome was decorated in imitation of an umbrella, with panels of gold and silver with scrollwork embellishment. The artificial waterfalls were removed early in the life of the theatre.
  The exterior of the theatre was originally lined with two-level verandah balconies, which provided relief to the imposing walls. These were removed in 1947-48, because authorities considered that the proximity of the supporting pillars to the road constituted a traffic hazard. As a result, there is a disparity between the ornamentation at the top of the building's facade and the lower three storeys, which were previously obscured by the balconies.
caption: view of the auditorium from the gallery
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